Sorting and cutting machine



April 6, 1926.

faa( i@ ATTORNEYS.

s sheets-sheetA 1 INVENTOR. M/////am de ac* BY l /Z Filed -March 31.1923 W DE BACK SORTING AND- CUTTING MACHINE April 6 1926. w. DE BACKSORTING ND CUTTING MACHINE Filed March 3l. 1925 3 Sheets- Sheet 2 I 7.5.5.- u Z o 1 W/ /Vf l By Q M' v l y y ATTORNEYS.

April 6 f 1926.

w. DE BACK sRTING AND CUTTING MACHINE 3 shuts-Sheet :5

Filed March 31. 1,923L

ration.

Patented Apr. e, 192e.v

i UNITED STA WILLIAM ,DE BACK. VoF isLEToN,cAr;1-roRN'IA.

scarl-Nef AND CUTTING MACHINE.

`.aipiiiication filed Maren' 31, 1923. serial 110.629,020.

Another object scribed which is readily adjustable so that it can bequickly adaptedv to thecharacterk istics of the material whichis to'be'handled Another `object of the invention is the *provisionv of ya.machineA of the character described which is entirely automatic inaction, taling the asparagus as it is fed to it, sorting it for size,cutting it to separate the ledible top from the Viibrouslower portionYof 1thekvstalk, and delivering the tops andthe waste portions atseparatehpoi'nts.`

The invention possesses other objects and .featuresof advantage, someo'fwhich,with

the foregoing,willbe set forth inthe following description'of'theinvention. AvIt is to'be understood that I' donot-limit myself y to theshowingV made by the said description,

as-I may adopt variant forms of' the invention within the seopeof-the'claims Referringtothe drawings: Fig. 1 is a side elevationof themachine a portion thereof being ybroken away to shorten the figure.

Fig. 21s a plan view of the structure shown in lF ig. 1, portions beingomitted to better disclose the remaining structure. Fig. 3 is' an endelevation of the inachinetaken from thedirection indicated by the arrowinr- Fig 2. Fig. 4 is avertical sectional view, lthe planevofsection'being indicated by the line-4 4- ofFig. 2. Fig. Slis aside-elevation on a larger sealeof a. portion of the conveyor andsorting mechanism. .6 is an elevation and 'vertical sectional vviewtaken in the plane Vindicated yby the line V6 6 of 111g. e.

In terms of-'broadinclusion the invention comprises a series ofcarriers, one foreach Of the: sizes into vwhich the asparagus is tobaser-ted.v lja'ch" carrier moves forwardly 'froiiif-aflloadiiig"'feint-to; a discharge. point," and is formed witlilogitudina grooves,as

of the invention is the pro-` vision ofa machine of the character deandthe shaft.

well as grooves transverse thereto. A sortingy conveyor is arranged ltorun over the carriers. Asparagu'sfisjfed. upon the conveyor, with'thfeheadsin vone direction, and as the conveyor passes over theV carriersthe asparagus Iis sorted according vto size and deposited inthelongitudinal'grooves of the carriers. Associated fwith each carrier isLa cutting 'blade which lies inone loffth'e transverse grooves thereof7and, as'the'car-v rier rmoves forwardly,` theasparagus inthelongitudinal grooves is pressed "against the.

cutting blade and severed. Theedible head and the waste lportion ofthestalk are sub.-

discharged from' the machine. In order sequently deposit'edin .sepa-ratechutes and f that the stalks may be cut at the proper point it isnecessary to position the pieces in the longitudinal grooves, and thisis done by an automatically operated plunger arranged'in eachlongitudinal groove, ywhich vpresses against the head of V'thestalln andmoves it to the desired position vrelative to the cutting blade. `Means`are provided for mount'- ing the cutting blade so that it may be read-Y ily shifted from one transverse groove to vanother to vary Athe'length of `the edible portions of tthe .stalks in accordance withAthecondition'vof the material.

' Indetail, theinvention comprises a frame 2,l in which a series ofcarrier drumsB `are journaled. -A` shaftt connectedf'by suitable mitergears 5 with eachV drum, is (driven by a shaft-6,V whiclrin turnissdriven "thru lav suitable gear train i-,from the main drivsov ingshaft '8, liavingthe pulley 9, belte'dto v fanysuitable source ofpower. A'clutcli I11 is preferably interposed'between the pulley 'l Thedrawings show `two carrier drumsbut it is-to be understood that asmaiiycarrier drums may be includedin the'fmachine as the number of sizes intowhich itis desired to sort the' asparagus.

'One ofthe gears of the train 4rItis fixed on a shaft 12' whichalso'carriesV a pair of sprockets 13. .At the opposite end of themachine sprockets l14 are'arran'ged'on the shaft 16,'and'these sprockets13 and 14 carry the upper reaches oftwin endless chains 17,

'on-which the sorting conveyor is arranged.

The lower reaches ofthe'ehains run around the sprockets 18 and19"'suitably `mounted on the Vframe of ythe machine below the sprocketsland '13 respectively. vThe upper reaches ofthe conveyoreh'ainsruninangle irons' I 21, and afilat plate Vorl table 122,* best yfall into the carrier drum.

shown lin Fig. G, underlies the angle irons,- and is provided with anaperture 9.3 over each of the carrier drums. A guard flange 2i extendsdownwardly from the table on cach side of the aperture into closeproximity to the carrier.

Automatically operating means are provided on the conveyor chainsdropping asparagus thereon at predetern'iincd points upon the table, inaccordance with the suce or diameter' of the asparagus, and thensweeping the dropped stalks along to the next succeeding aperture 23thru which they Arranged between th-e parallel reaches of the conveyorchains 17 are cross niieuihers formed preferably of sheet metal, andeach one coinprising a plate 26 preferably fianged about the edge togive added strength, and having the integral arms O7 on each side, suits-ably apertured to facilitate attachment to the links of the chain. TheVplate 26 as best shown in Figs. 5 and (i, extends close to the table22, and is provided with suitable stiffening ribs 2S. As the upper reachof the conveyor passes along the angle irons Q1, each plate 26 extendsupwardly in relatively fixed position as to the chain.

Pivot-ally mounted at the upper end of each of the fixed plates is aplate 31, which extends across the entire width of the fixed plate andinwardly toward the table 22, for perhaps half of its height. Thesepivoted plates are each provided with a projecting lug 32, which ride ona cam plate 33, the function of which is to control the angular relationof each pivoted plate with the adjacent fixed plate, that is to say, tocontrol the space which separates the end of each pivoted plate from theadjacent xed plate.

Each two plates thus co-operate to provide a trough-like support for anasparagus stalk placed upon the conveyor, and the varying width of thespace separating the plates the conveyor progresses over the carrierdrums, determines the point at which stalks are dropped upon the tableQ2.

' It should be noted that in .feeding asparagus to the machine, onestalk at a time is placed between the supporting plates, as shown inFig. 5, with the head pointing away from the operator who standsadjacent one end of the machine, as indicated by the reference character34, Fie'. 2. As

shown in Fig. 6, both plates are recessed in their upper edges tofacilitate the placing of the stalks or their removal. Dropping from theconveyor the stalks, which are within certain size limits, atpredetermined points, is effected by the change in position of thepivoted plates as they ride along the cam 33. Preferably the camlcomprises a piece of angle iron supported on bracket `36, and arrangedat an angle,

neraiaes as shown in Fig. l, to the direction of movement of theconveyor. At the point where the stalks of asparagus are placed upon themachine, that is the left hand side of the machine, as viewed in Fig. l,the cam is highest so that the pivoted plates are held closer to theVfixed plates. ins the pivotcd plates pass along the earn they aregradually permitted to fall, and separate more and more from theadjacent fixed plate. Thus the smallest size of stalk is permitted todrop first and then successively larger sizes are dropped upon the tableas the conveyor progresses. As each stalk drops from between the twoplates, it falls upon the table 2Q, and is 'caught by the lower portionof the fixed plate, and swept along the table to the next succeedingaperture 23, thru which it falls into the carrier drum.

Each of the carrier drums is provided with a series of closely spacedlongitudinal slots 23T, adapted to receive stalks of asparagus fallingthru the apertures 23 as the carrier revolves. Slidably mounted in thefar end of the slot, as viewed from the operators side of the machine,is a plunger 38 arranged on a shaft 39 terminating in a roller adaptedto engage a fixed cani al. The cani is so formed that each plunger -isin a retracted position until after the groove in which it operates haspassed the aperture 23, thru which it receives a stalk of asparagus.Immediately after this point has been pass-ed by the rotating carrier,the plunger is forced inwardly by the cam, engaging the head end of thestalk,'and pushing it alone' the groeve to a predetermined positiontherein. lt will be understood that the stalks are of varying lengthsand that it is desired to cut equal lengths from the head ends of thestalks so that such ends may be uniform forV canning.v 1

Means are provided for cutting the positioned stalks in the grooves anddischarging the pieces sepa 'ately. Each of the carrier drums is formedwith transverse or circumferential grooves, preferably four in number.These grooves i2 are sufficiently wide to admit a cutting blade 4?),preferably a knife. rllhe knife does not touch any portion of thecarrier and the cutting edge thereof is disposed, as shown in Fig. l,tangentially in respect of the carrier and inside of or within thebottoms of the longitudinal grooves. As the carrier drums revolve, thestalks in the grooves thereof are drawn against the knife which effectsa shearing cut thru them. The cutting blade is fixed on a shaft 44:mounted for both lUCK rotary and axial movement in bearings i6 on crossslots 48, in which a pin'49 is adapted vides means whereby the shaft maybe os-y cillated to register the pin 49 with the slot 47, and then moved,inv an axial direction until the pin 49 engages in the desired crossslot 48, at which time the knifewill be engaged in the correspondingcircumferential groove. A spring 52, interposed between the frame of themachine and the shaft 44, resiliently holdsl the cutting blade inoperative position in its groove.

A guard plateA 53 is also mounted onthe shaft by means of a bracket 54on each side of the cutting blade so that the guard plate moves axiallywith the shaft when the cuts` ting blade is shifted from one groove toanother. `At the lower end of the guardv plate 53, is fixed a dischargechute 56, which delivers the pieces of the cut stalks out of the machineto a suitable receptacle or conveyor. The discharge chutes also moveaxially with the shaft 44 so that each one is always in position tocatch a piece of stalk as it is released from the carrier drum.

I claim;

l. In a sorting and cutting machine, a carrier for each size of thearticle to be handled, means for sorting said articles into saidcarriers, means for positioning said articles in said carriers, acutting blade associated with each carrier and againstvwhich thearticles are pressed by the carrier, a shaft on which said blade isfixed, and means for varying the longitudinal position of the shaft tovary the length of the articles cut bythe blade.

2. In a sorting and cutting machine, a carrier comprising a rotary drumformed with longitudinal grooves and circuinferen-A tial grooves, meansfor depositing articles to be handled in the longitudinal grooves, meansfor positioning the Varticles in said longitudinal grooves, alongitudinal inovable and oscillatable shaft parallel to the axis ofsaid drum, a cutting blade fixed on said shaft and adapted to lie in a,selected circuinferentia-l groove, and a discharge chute mountedon saidshaft on each side of said blade.

3. In a sorting and cutting inachine,.a

carrier comprising a rotary drum formed with longitudinal grooves andcircumferenvLto-operating with the fixed tial grooves, means.for'depositing articles to be handled in the longitudinalgrooves, meansfor positioning the articles in said longitudinal grooves, alongitudinal movable and oscillatable shaft parallel to the axis of saiddrum, a cutting blade fixed on said shaft and adapted to lie in aselected circun'iferentialgroove,a guard plate enclosing the side ofsaid Vdrum mounted on said shaft on each side of saidhlade, and adischarge chute underlying the drum and fixed on each guard plate. v

i 4. In Va sorting and cutting machine, a carrierffor each size of thearticle to be handled, a conveyor running ,over said carriers, fixedplates on saidconveyor, pivoted plates on said conveyor co-operatingwith the fixed plates to support the articles to be handled, cam meansforvarying the position ofthe pivoted plates relative. to 'the fixedYplates so that the articlesV therebetween are deposited according tosize into said carriers, and means for cutting the articles in thecarriers to a predetermined length.

5. `.In a sorting and cutting machine, a carrier for each size of thearticle" to be handled, a table overlying said carriers and .providedwith a discharge aperture over each carrier, a conveyor running oversaid table, fixed plates on said conveyor extending close to said table,pivoted/plates on said conveyor plates to support the articles to lbehandled, cam means kfor varying the position of the pivoted platesrelative to the fixed plates so that the articles therebetween aredeposited at predetermined points according to size uponV said table andswept therealong by saidv fixed plates to said discliargeapertures andinto said carriers, and means for cutting the articles in the carriersto a predetermined length i v 6. In a sorting and cutting machine, acarrier having longitudinal grooves therein, means for depositingarticles to behandled in said grooves, a plunger in each groove andmounted on said carrier,'means for cutting' the articles inthe grooves,and means for moving the plungers to'position the articles relative tothe cutting means.

7. In a sorting and cutting machine, a rotary carrier drum havinglongitudinal grooves therein, a plunger in each groove, a fixed cam formoving said plungers during thek rotation of said drums to positionarticles in the grooves, and means for cutting the positioned articles.

In testimony whereof, I have hereimto set my hand.

VILLIAM Dn BACK.V

